Squirrelly author visits Olney on nutty tour

Sporting white-squirrel earrings, a white-squirrel T-shirt and cradling a live white squirrel, North Carolina resident Judy Pierce seemed right at home during her stop in Olney on Wednesday.

Pierce was at Olney Public Library during her and husband Jim's visit to donate a copy of her children's book "Ozette's Destiny (Tales From Farlandia)" starring – spoiler alert – a white squirrel named Ozette, who is named after Ozette Lake in Pierce's home state of Washington.

"I'm really excited to be here," Pierce said, noting that Olney should have an annual white-squirrel festival like others she has visited since becoming enamored of animals, "For everybody to just have a nutty good time."

She said she first became interested in squirrels in the 1990s when she lived in Georgia and volunteered for a wildlife rehabilitator, raising and releasing orphan gray squirrels.

"I just fell in love with them," Pierce said, adding that a lot of the important things she has learned in life, "I've learned from squirrels."

Pierce, who has a master's degree from the School of Journalism at Southern Illinois University, later began writing short stories online about Ozette, which she said gained around 200 followers. Friends urged her to write a book about the adventurous squirrel. She sent a few chapters to Pants on Fire Press, which liked it, and the finished book came out in February.

The book follows the white squirrel Ozette as she has to leave Earth World "because she's different." After receiving a golden acorn from her grandmother, the main story begins to unfold as she goes to a kingdom called Farlandia.

Pierce found a kindred spirit during her visit to Olney in Belinda Henton, who rehabilitates white squirrels and is also heading the annual squirrel count again this year, set for October 5, 12 and 19. Henton said they still need volunteers.

The little white squirrel that Pierce cuddled and was reluctant to let go was named Simon, who was rescued by some people visiting Borah Lake and then taken to the fire department, Henton said.

Pierce and her husband have been on a six-week trip that has included not only squirrel sight-seeing, but also book-signing. She heard about Olney and emailed Henton to set up a visit.

The Pierces were set to leave Olney today. She said they are planning a move to Brevard, N.C., which holds an annual White Squirrel Festival.